Cassadaga, Florida
Encyclopedia
Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 official county's population was 494,593 . Its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona....
, just north of Deltona
Deltona, Florida
Deltona is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida and is the largest city in Volusia County. It is located east of DeBary and north of Lake Monroe. It is the twenty-ninth largest city in Florida, with a 2010 Census population of 85,182...
. It is especially known for having a large number of psychics
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
and mediums, and has consequently been named the "Psychic Capital of the World".
History of Cassadaga
The Cassadaga Spiritualist camp began when the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association was founded by George P. Colby, from Pike, New YorkPike (town), New York
Pike is a town in Wyoming County, New York, USA. The population was 1,086 at the 2000 census.The Town of Pike is on the south border of the county. Pike is also the name of a hamlet in this town.- History :...
, a trance medium who traveled to many different states, giving readings and seance
Séance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
s. He was well known, and in his travels, Colby was referred to as the "seer of spiritualism". Colby attended summer Spiritualist Camp meetings at Lily Dale, New York, the town adjacent to Cassadaga, New York
Cassadaga, New York
Cassadaga is an incorporated village located in Chautauqua County, New York, in the United States. The village is located within the northeast corner of the Town of Stockton, east of the village of Stockton, south of and immediately adjacent to Lily Dale in the Town of Pomfret, and north of the...
.
Colby worked with several spirit guides who would give knowledge to him. Colby one of his spirit guides was an Indian named Seneca, who had manifested to Colby during a seance in Lake Mills, Iowa
Lake Mills, Iowa
Lake Mills is a city in Winnebago County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,140 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lake Mills is located at ....
. According to Colby, Seneca had instructed him to travel to the south, into Florida, where he eventually arrived at a place called the Blue Springs Landing, near Orange City, Florida
Orange City, Florida
Orange City is a city located in Volusia County, Florida. In the 2000 census the city had a total population of 6,604. In 2004 the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 7,172.-Geography:Orange City is located at ....
. According to Colby, the area that Seneca had led him to was the same area that Colby had seen during the seance in Iowa.
Colby had arrived in Florida in 1875, and several decades later, on the 18th of December, 1894 the charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
was granted to form The Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association. Later on January 3, 1895 Colby had signed a warranty deed to the Association for thirty-five acres. The people who came to the Spiritualist Camp in the early days of its formation were affluent and well educated. The Cassadaga Spiritualist camp was named after the small Spiritualist Camp community found outside of Lily Dale, New York. The Spiritualist Camp Association later received additional acreage that expanded the camp to the current fifty-seven acres.
The Cassadaga Camp today
Today, the Camp features the Cassadaga Hotel, a central auditorium, The Colby Memorial Temple, a community library, the Caesar Forman Healing Center, a Camp Bookstore, and a welcome center. Also, there is the Andrew Jackson Davis Educational building, used for musical performances and gatherings. Nearby is the Colby-Alderman Park.The principles of spirituality that are taught by the people at Cassadaga state, "Spiritualism has no dogma or creed, just a simple set of nine principles to help guide our lives". According to the teachings of Spiritualism, it is the "Science, philosophy, and religion based upon the principle of continuous life". On March 14, 1991, the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist camp was declared a U.S. Historic District
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
. The Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp is a federal tax-exempt Church currently governed by a Board of Trustees.
Popular culture
- Bright Eyes has an album called CassadagaCassadaga (album)Cassadaga is the seventh studio album by Bright Eyes, released on April 10, 2007. Around 25 to 30 songs were recorded in 2006, with 13 of these appearing on the final track list...
, which features the town in the lyrics of the single "Four WindsFour WindsFour Winds is an EP by the indie rock band Bright Eyes, that was released on March 6, 2007. The title track is the first single from their album Cassadaga. The other 5 tracks are exclusive b-sides from the 2006 recording sessions. It is marketed as being "quietly enchanting" and including "a...
". - Tom PettyTom PettyThomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
's song "Casa Dega" alludes to psychics - Gemma HayesGemma HayesGemma Claire Hayes is an Irish singer-songwriter and member of The Cake Sale.-Early life:...
has a song entitled "Lucky One (Bird of Cassadaga)" on her debut album "Night On My SideNight on My SideNight on my Side is the debut album by Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes, released in 2002 with success in the Republic of Ireland, France and the UK.The album was nominated for that year's Mercury Music Prize but lost out to Ms...
" - Stanley ElkinStanley ElkinStanley Lawrence Elkin was a Jewish American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. His extravagant, satirical fiction revolves around American consumerism, popular culture, and male-female relationships.-Biography:...
's novel George Mills takes place partially in Cassadaga. - Served as the inspiration for the town called Grange in the Carl HiaasenCarl HiaasenCarl Hiaasen is an American journalist, columnist and novelist.- Early years :Born in 1953 and raised in Plantation, Florida, of Norwegian heritage, Hiaasen was the first of four children and the son of a lawyer, Kermit Odel, and teacher, Patricia...
novel Lucky YouLucky You (novel)Lucky You is a 1997 novel by Carl Hiaasen. It is set in Florida, and is based around JoLayne Lucks, a black woman who is one of two winners of a lottery.-Plot:...
. - Was also featured in an episode of the X-Files (episode title unknown).
- Investigated in the 2008 BBC documentary Around the World in 80 FaithsAround the World in 80 FaithsAround the World in 80 Faiths is a British television series which was first broadcast by the BBC on 2 January 2009. The series is presented by the Anglican vicar, Pete Owen-Jones, who is researching the various faiths from around the world....
(Episode 5, Faith #43) - The town is briefly mentioned in the 2009 movie Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant .
- Featured in August 2010 episode of The GladesThe Glades (TV series)The Glades is an A&E Network drama television series created by Clifton Campbell. The one-hour drama premiered on Sunday, July 11, 2010. The series stars Matt Passmore as Det...
on the A&E Network - Parts of the town were featured in the film Dunsmore released in 2003 and directed by Peter Spirer.
- The film CassadagaCassadaga (film)Cassadaga is a 2011 American independent horror film directed by Anthony DiBlasi. The screenplay is the feature-length debut for co-writers Bruce Wood and Scott Poiley...
is set in and took its inspiration from the town's history.
See also
- Cassadaga, New YorkCassadaga, New YorkCassadaga is an incorporated village located in Chautauqua County, New York, in the United States. The village is located within the northeast corner of the Town of Stockton, east of the village of Stockton, south of and immediately adjacent to Lily Dale in the Town of Pomfret, and north of the...
- Seneca tribe
- Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Historic DistrictSouthern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Historic DistrictThe Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Historic District is a U.S. historic district located in Cassadaga, Florida. The district is bounded by Cassadaga Road and Marion, Stevens, Lake and Chauncey Streets...
- SpiritualismSpiritualismSpiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
- The Devil's chairThe Devil's Chair (urban legend)The term devil’s chair in folklore is frequently attached to a class of funerary or memorial sculpture common in the United States during the nineteenth century and often associated with legend tripping. Nineteenth century graveyards sometimes included carved chairs for the comfort of visitors...
External links
- Official website of the town and Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp
- "Visiting The Psychic Capital Of The World", Bill Geist, CBS Sunday Morning, December 30, 2007.
- Aerial photo at Google MapsGoogle MapsGoogle Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...